BACK TO BASICS 15 - FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

[lynnh]

Back to Basics Informal Meet-up
Repeat after me: “I will not be a lazy photographer.”
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Food.
Holidays were called Feast Days at one time. The name has changed, but the premise is the same. The upcoming Holidays will be serving up lots of Food Photography opportunities.

A few of our fellow Pbasers have leaned the tricks to getting a good shot. Sue Anne and Janice Dunn are two that come to mind right away. The first time I tried to take a serious food photo, I was shocked that no matter what I did, the food looked unappetizing. I went to the internet and began to research tips and techniques for Food Photography and I learned that it isn’t all that easy.

Here are some tips and trick that I found online:
(From Stuart Ovenden, Good Food Magazine and Christina Peters, Digital Photography School)

Try not to use a flash
Camera-mounted flashes are pretty much off-limits for food photographers; pouring in light front-on will flatten your dish and dispel any delicate natural shadows that were present beforehand. Unless you have access to specialist studio lighting equipment, your best bet is to use natural light from a window.

You can try bright artificial light (just not overhead) or use a homemade reflector. And remember to check your white balance.

Side lighting and back lighting work best.

Some good examples of lighting importance can be seen here http://pinchofyum.com/artificial-lighti ... hotography

Try a tripod
If you don’t have good light and need to use an exposure longer than 1/60th of a second, it’s a good idea to use a tripod.

Choose Props Carefully
The choice of tablecloth/surface, plate and cutlery all subtly contribute to the mood and success of your shot. Props should be low key and not distracting. It’s still all about the food, but it gives the food some visual support to get your viewer to look at your photos. There is a fine balance between just the right amount and too many props that take your eye away from the food.

Stay away from bold patterns on plates and fabrics. Food photography is all about creating an image that naturally has the viewer’s eye looking right at your beautiful food. All the fabulous props in the shot are just the supporting actors in your story. Your story is not about the plate. Your story is about your food.

Find the best angle
Certain recipes have a strong graphic identity and will look striking when photographed from directly above, while other subjects (tiered cakes being a good example) often need to be shot from a lower angle. Often it's good to re-approach an idea from a different angle just to check.

Consider cropping the plate
Play around with cropping an image to see if you like it better. It’s ok to crop the plate. You are not selling the plate,

Experiment with presentation
Try taking a slice from a cake and leave a few crumbs here and there on the plate or tabletop. Take a look through the lens - it might be worth leaving them there. A bit of mess adds charm and can make a recipe more approachable to the viewer. Or make a salad look dewy and freshly picked with a few misty bursts of water with an atomizer.

Lastly,
Don't let the food sit around for too long
LOL, but still something to consider. Many herbs and salad leaves whither at the mere sight of a camera. The longer your dish hangs around, the more it starts to look tired and un-appetizing.
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Your assignment:

Take and post one or two food photos (or more if you get some good ones!).

If you would like to discuss your experience, please do. We can learn from it.

Our goal is to get our best shot through the camera and not the computer, so please limit the amount of processing. For this challenge, you may rotate your image on the computer. If you shoot in raw, of course you may adjust your photos as necessary.

Commenting - lets try to give support to one another and point out what we like about the resulting photo(s).

If you have criticism, keep it constructive and hide the comment.

Deadline to post for this assignment is Saturday, December 6th.

[sueymarky]

http://www.pbase.com/sueymarky/image/158334096/original

regards,
sue anne

[lainesphotos]

With your indulgence I finally have the time to take part
Taken with my iPhone my little fridge magnet that reminds me of the pleasures of Limousin

[janicecd]

Sorry, this is not a new photo - taken a few weeks ago

Eggs Benedict - my favourite brunch meal!!!

[janicecd]

Another old image - and is wine food?

[sueymarky]

http://www.pbase.com/sueymarky/image/158367279/original

Happy holidays to my foodie(s)
sue anne

[lynnh]

My birthday cake... tres leches. YUM!!

[jolka]

The new recipe I tried - turned out into a tasty pie

[jolka]

Simple food - our daily bread.

[shutterpug]

Just made a Bourbon Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving and posted the photo and recipe.
http://www.pbase.com/shutterpug/image/158377669

For those of you who are not familiar with "My Recipe Box"... I have been working on food photography for several years as I cook, prop, shoot and post the recipes I have tried. I have posted 285 recipes thus far. I think it is evident which are my earlier photos as I have gradually progressed. It is such a challenge to shoot food.

So... here is "My Recipe Box": http://www.pbase.com/shutterpug/my_recipe_box
You will find the index on the last page of the gallery when you scroll down.

[jolka]

Today I have baked those tasty pumpkin and banana cookies with oatmeal, nuts and cranberries added

[borisalex]

Feta Cheese with Rosemary Olive oil...

[sueymarky]

http://www.pbase.com/sueymarky/image/158394127/original

On to December.....
sue anne

[1designguy]

I bit of a stretch and I'm really pinched for time so I'm doing the "Food Photo" on the run as a SP...

[timbg]

My first gallery of food was shot several years ago - here:
http://www.pbase.com/timbg/food
I shot a few more tonight:
http://www.pbase.com/timbg/food2